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The Bears' new 3-4 base front will change how they defend the edges. There's a lot to sort out in this transition before September, but here's an early breakdown of new responsibilities and the candidates to fill them. Ends — Ray McDonald, Jarvis Jenkins: Take your notions about a 4-3 end and save them for sub packages. While the Bears are in their base grouping, which general manager Ryan Pace has approximated will be 40 percent of the time, defensive ends primarily are big-bodied run stuffers. Like the nose tackle, they're generally asked to occupy offensive linemen and keep the linebackers free to make tackles. There are some 3-4 ends who disrupt the...

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The Bears' new 3-4 base front will change how they defend the edges. There's a lot to sort out in this transition before September, but here's an early breakdown of new responsibilities and the candidates to fill them.
Ends — Ray McDonald, Jarvis...

The NFL rewarded 32 compensatory picks for this spring’s draft to 14 teams Monday evening. The Chicago Bears, however, will not be receiving any of those selections, which are determined annually by evaluating a team’s key free agent additions and...

PHOENIX — The Bears made some of the biggest news from the owners meeting a year ago when they hammered out a contract for Jared Allen, ending a two-week odyssey for the pass rusher in free agency.
Allen received an $11.5 million roster bonus last week...

PHOENIX — Another measure intended to heighten player safety entered the discussion at the NFL owners meetings Monday with a proposed resolution that would allow the independent medical observer at every game to communicate directly with on-field...

One man will not make the kind of pass rush the Bears want with their new defense.
Just because they struck first in free agency when they signed outside linebacker Pernell McPhee doesn't mean they should skip a chance to add another player at the...

The Bears drove through the start of free agency last week in the center lane while some teams whizzed by on the left and others poked along on the right.
Teams such as the Dolphins and Eagles handed out lottery-type contracts or gutted their roster with...

A couple of injured quarterbacks were traded Tuesday, but not a healthy Jay Cutler.
Meanwhile, the Bears were trying to sign a 32-year-old safety.
There’s your Day 1 takeaway from NFL free agency: This is a bad time for what the Bears need.
OK, the...

The Chicago Bears claimed offensive lineman Michael Ola off waivers from the Miami Dolphins during the offseason last year and he wound up starting at four different positions, earning him a good check for performance-based pay.
The NFL Management...

INDIANAPOLIS -- John Fox has yet to finalize details of the new 3-4 defense he's installing as Chicago Bears coach, but his vision for it is in place, and he shared a bit of it Wednesday morning at the NFL scouting combine.
"We’re going to be out of...

The lead-up to free agency opened Saturday with NFL teams and agents doing a familiar dance of gauging interest while working to get a handle on the marketplace.
One agent described it as a game of "peek-a-boo" while another who did high volume...

As the Chicago Bears prepare for free agency, they’ve got considerable needs to weigh and cannot forget about special teams, a unit that was understocked last season.
A review of playing-time statistics for the Bears shows that three of the top six...

In balancing the goal to win now with building for the future, former Bears general manager Phil Emery said it was his duty working for the McCaskey family to strive for a championship every season.
Ownership signed off on the franchise's direction,...

If the Bears are switching to a 3-4 defense, which position is the most vital in the first round? Nose tackle, pass-rushing outside linebacker or safety? -- @Aronw1A
I answered a similar question to this two weeks ago when I turned to a coach with much...

Many of you are aware of how the Bears follow my every suggestion, and you’re welcome for the firing of general manager Phil Emery and coach Marc Trestman.
But as much as the Bears always have looked to me for guidance and help, I’m here to tell...

INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL's defensive rankings over the last four seasons show why Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox targeted coordinator Vic Fangio last month. His talented 49ers defenses finished in the top five in total yards allowed each...

INDIANAPOLIS — Dante Fowler Jr. smiled while chatting with reporters Friday morning. He's at ease and confident in the face of scrutiny here at the NFL scouting combine. The defensive end out of Florida likes to stay loose and a crack about his favorite...

Jared Allen has indicated in the past he has no interest in playing as a 3-4 defensive end. What will be done with him? -- @IAMGumby317
Here’s the deal: The Bears and Allen are married to each other for this season. Both sides realize that and both sides...

INDIANAPOLIS — As the Bears sort through the roster puzzle en route to free agency and the draft, it's about determining which piece best fills each specific need.
The first is going to affect the second, and agents who have met with the team at the...

INDIANAPOLIS — Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox are trying to be meticulous in evaluating the roster they inherited. Capitalizing on their fresh start together is critical before the new league year begins March 10, around when some...